A museum of modern advertising as a window into consumer culture

Dancing Elephants? I say Yes.

General Electric is one of those companies. The over-arching, all-powerful corporations whose products you buy all the time, often without realizing it. Who knows what they really do?

While they are responsible for many groundbreaking technological advances across the board (from the first electric toaster to modern nuclear energy), the list of grievances against GE seems to be just as long. Both civil and environmental issues have plagued the company for a very long time. Here’s a list of some of my favorites from Wikipedia:

And here’s a site dedicated to informing the public about GE’s misdeeds.

So they make advertisements like this one, which are not really meant to help sell their wares. This is more of a PR stunt to help everyone forget the company’s poor environmental record.

But just look at the adorable elephant! Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwww… I’ve already forgotten what I was talking about.

A– for you, GE!

PS It is no coincidence that feely-goody ads like this one show up shortly after the company comes under fire. Check out this familiar campaign from the 80s, aired while under attack for defrauding the US defense department and improperly disposing of nuclear waste.